LOUGHBOROUGH’S Urgent Care Centre is trying to increase its X-ray facilities over the weekend because the service is only available for four hours.

Stephanie Goodall, clinical director at Central Nottinghamshire Clinical Services (CNCS), which won the contract to run the service, said time extensions were needed due to the amount of sport that is played in Loughborough over the weekend.

Mrs Goodall discussed the matter at a Loughborough East Area Forum meeting, which was attended by residents and councillors at Beacon Academy on Wednesday, October 9.

Carol Kirk, of Sidings Park Area Residents Association, said: “Any chance of it being 24/7 because that is what we were told were the benefits (of moving it from Pinfold Gate), that’s what stopped people moaning?”

Mrs Goodall said: “Radiographers are not cheap. We do not get a lot of patients who need an X-ray overnight – probably six to seven patients. It’s minimal. We would want extensions at weekends because of the football. We are working on trying to increase that.”

At the moment, X-ray facilities are available at the Urgent Care Centre on weekdays, 9am to 5pm, and four hours on Saturday and Sunday.

One resident said: “No X-ray provision when promised? Maybe the service you provide should be made clearer to patients.”

Mrs Goodall said she would take all concerns back to the West Leicestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, which commission services locally on behalf of the NHS.

CNCS also told residents that the centre sees 3,500 patients a month, the average waiting time is one hour and 20 minutes and 98.2 per cent of patients are seen in two hours.